Scholar Gives Back to Latinx Community

Heriberto Campos-Melchor is a second-year student majoring in Political Science and Anthropology. After completing their undergraduate studies, they hope to earn a Master's degree in public health policy and become a Juris Doctor.

Outside of school, Heriberto works at Arte Américas, the largest Latinx cultural arts center in California’s Central Valley, where they help celebrate, nurture, and preserve Latinx arts and culture. In late 2024, as a high school junior, Heriberto began volunteering with Arte Américas after learning about the organization through their older sister.

“Growing up Latino with immigrant parents, artistic spaces often felt inaccessible or not designed for people like us,” Heriberto said. “My first experience visiting an art space was at Arte Américas.”

Pictured right: Volunteers paint cardboard for Arte Américas' school tour program, which teaches students Mexican culture through art.

Motivated by that experience, Heriberto devoted more than 100 hours to volunteering while in high school and was later hired as a Visitor Services Assistant. Over the past 16 months, they have helped ensure that Arte Américas remains an accessible and welcoming space for all visitors.

During their time at Arte Américas, Heriberto has contributed to major community events such as the Cala Gala and Día del Niño celebrations, while also taking a leading role in volunteer outreach and coordination. Through these efforts, 75 volunteers contributed more than 335 hours of service in just three months.

Pictured left: Community members attend the 2025 Cala Gala celebration.

In addition to supporting events and outreach efforts, Heriberto's passion for law has influenced their work at Arte Américas. While coordinating volunteers, they noticed that many Spanish-speaking community members struggled to complete liability forms that were only available in English. To make the process more accessible and ensure informed consent, Heriberto translated the forms into Spanish, allowing more volunteers to participate comfortably and confidently in service opportunities.

Heriberto added, “As we navigate the renovation of our building, I hope to help develop a volunteer program that extends Arte Américas' impact beyond our own events. Rather than focusing solely on promoting our organization, volunteers could partner with and support other community initiatives that celebrate culture, creativity, and self-expression.”

Pictured right: Smittcamp Scholars prepare flowers at the 2025 Cala Gala celebration.

This fall, Heriberto will begin their sophomore year serving as Senator-at-Large for ASI at Fresno State, where they hope to focus on cultural programming, volunteer engagement, and improving representation for all communities on campus. Their goal is to create spaces where students feel seen, valued, and represented throughout their university experience.

For Heriberto, being a Smittcamp Scholar means more than academic success—it means using their time, language, and skills to serve others while creating opportunities for their community to thrive.